


What She Wanted

by DesertVixen



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29278362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Penelope and Odysseus meet...
Relationships: Odysseus/Penelope
Comments: 14
Kudos: 18
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	What She Wanted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betony/gifts).



How many shiftless princes and useless kings could there be in all of Achaea, Penelope wondered as she helped her cousin Helen prepare for her appearance that evening. How many suitors could possibly fit in one palace?

Surely they had finally assembled all of them here, eating her uncle Tyndareus’ food, drinking his wine, and testing his patience. He had been curse-blessed to have the most beautiful woman in the known world be his daughter, and now the task of finding her an acceptable husband without upsetting the others was laid on his shoulders. It was a pity, Penelope thought, that he could not simply employ her father’s method of dealing with suitors, but Tyndareus was no runner.

The discovery that there were yet more new arrivals – apparently they had not yet exhausted the supply of eligible men – made Penelope sigh. She was so busy thinking about the logistics of yet more guests that she almost walked into one of them.

He was not as physically impressive as some of their guests, but something about him conveyed coiled strength and masculine grace. He looked, she thought suddenly, as if he might be an excellent distance runner. His eyes studied her as she made apologies, and then he gave her a quickly flashing smile that made her knees slightly weak.

This was no shiftless prince or useless king.

This man was dangerous.

***

Penelope was amused to discover that her uncle had seated the newcomer beside her at their table. She had discovered he was Odysseus of Ithaka, and her sense that he was somehow dangerous had not abated. Despite having just arrived, she noted that he seemed well-informed about many of the suitors, and Penelope was surprised to find that he was interested in her opinion. She knew that while she was Helen’s cousin, she was not really important in her own right.

But Odysseus was interested in what she had to say – not about Helen, but about how the suitors had acted – and he seemed to enjoy her rather sharp critiques. He had laughed a few times, and he had asked questions that made her wonder what sort of plan he had. Perhaps he intended to remove a few of the suitors? She did not know for certain but she knew that he was planning something.

At the end of the evening, however, Penelope was convinced of one thing.

She wanted him for herself, not for her cousin.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
